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Book Buzz
Laurel has a house full of boys--three to be exact, however, if you add her husband, the cat and the dog, masculinity runs rampant. Laurel lives in Florida and recently celebrated 13 years of marriage. She graduated from college with a communication degree. She has been an in-home childcare provider, and a pre-school teacher. She is currently a part time office assistant, which allows her to spend time with the boys when they are out of school. Reading is Laurel’s easiest, and sometimes only, method for getting away from it all. Laurel is a devotional writer for Internet Café and Laced With Grace web-sites, and during her spare time you can find her on her blog at Laurel Wreath. If you have any suggestions for a positive, uplifting book that will bring women closer to the heart of God, drop Laurel a note at at lrlwreath @ gmail.com (remove spaces). Visit Laurel's Website: Laurel Wreath's Reflections
_____________________________ Introducing Angela Thomas
Angela’s writing style is delightful; her friendly style of conversation makes you feel like you are in a coffee shop with a friend. All of her books touch on questions many women ponder; her open communication and transparency compel you to meditate on what you just read and to wipe the tears away before continuing. Angela has always had the desire to grow and learn more about God. She served as a part-time youth director while working full time in transportation. Angela also graduated from the University of North Carolina. Angela’s passion to learn more about God, led to her enrolling in Dallas Theological Seminary. She completed her Master’s degree and became a Minister to Senior High girls. Angela was what she called a “church lady.” Doing all the right stuff, and living the life many women dream to have. Then her world came crashing to a halt; her married ended in divorce. This led to a new chapter in Angela’s life. Through her brokenness she learned how to love, minister, and understand others with a deeper passion. Angela says there are many women who have the head knowledge, can say the right words, and look good on the outside; but in reality are dying on the inside. Today her passion is to take the head knowledge women possess and help them apply it to the deep places of their heart. Angela is the real deal. She is charming, warm, and friendly. I pray you will come to love her as much I do. Her books and bible studies have made a life changing impact in my personal life. Angela just released a new book and is currently on the road but she wanted to offer this excerpt from her book When Wallflowers Dance. Here she explains the difference between being a carnal Christian and a spirit led Christian... There is a difference in the woman who is saved and getting by as best she can and the woman who is saved and living every day of her life filled by the power of the Holy Spirit. The first woman is a carnal Christian. And the second one is a spiritual woman. If we stay with our illustration, we’d say that the second woman is dancing. The first one continues to walk according to her old desires, and the other is being led by the Spirit of God. There is only one degree of choosing that separates these women. But as it turns out, one degree makes all the difference. When you are saved, several things happen. The Holy Spirit has opened your heart to pay attention and receive the Word of God (Acts 16:14). God has called you and drawn you to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:24; John 6:44). The Holy Spirit has crucified the old sinful self (Galatians 5:24) and taken away the power of sin (Romans 6:6). Through repentance, the woman who is saved turns to Christ as her Savior and begins the process of setting aside the sins that have plagued her life. At the beginning of our life in Christ, we are spiritual babies. Remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians:
We begin as babies, and it’s important for us to remember that God has great patience with new believers. He understands the weakness by which we begin. Just learning about grace. Only beginning to walk by faith and battle our old sin patterns. The very good news is that there is hope for those of us who struggle in earnest to become women of great faith. There is a place in Christ for the stragglers and beginners and stumblers. But Scripture says that even though we come to Christ as beginners and stumblers and live a lifetime as just women covered by grace, from our gratitude for God’s magnificent grace to us, we are called to grow up in His mercy. To graduate from baby milk to solid food. But becoming a mature, spiritual woman requires the next step of choosing. That one degree of difference is the way of becoming a woman of righteous confidence. The woman who is becoming spiritual is being filled and refilled by the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. The abundant, full life that Christ promises in John 10:10 comes to us from the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us.
I spent much of my life as a believer not understanding the importance of the Holy Spirit in me and through me. So I don’t mean to make this too simplistic. I don’t want to insult your intelligence or make any assumptions. It’s just that many women do not live in this fullness. If I could take you by the hand and, according to Scripture, walk you step-by-step toward understanding the gift of the Holy Spirit, here’s the way I believe we should begin. The way out of the rut and into maturity is the step from carnal living over into a spiritual life of growth and becoming. Spiritual maturity is a gradual process by which Christ in us begins to subdue our old sin nature and we become more in tune to the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit becomes more and more evident in our lives as we grow spiritually. Old sins lose their hold. And all this comes to pass as we learn to trust Christ more fully as our daily guide and real friend. Believing that Jesus is for us and learning to live out of that kind of love. This process of maturing happens as we step over into the work of the Holy Spirit. The first question for us is this: Have you made a conscious decision to step from a carnal life into a spiritual life? Remember, there is one degree of choosing that separates the carnal from the spiritual. Both are saved, one living in power and one not. Before you go any further, stop and consider your own choosing. Have you decided to pursue a spiritual life? Have you consciously made the decision to surrender your heart and your life for the filling of the Holy Spirit? On this day, do you need to recommit to a fresh start? Your Father so very much wants you to live in power and confidence. He waits to give all that you need. Would you step over today and give your heart fully to the process of growing and becoming a confident woman by the power of the Holy Spirit? ____________________ From When Wallflowers Dance by Angela Thomas from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Copyright 2005.
Find more author interviews and book reviews in CWO's Book Buzz with Laurel Wreath
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Bonnie 
Dr. Seuss once said, “
Angela Thomas is a mother of four children Taylor, Grayson, William and Anna Grace. She currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee and is a well known conference speaker. She is the author of several books including, A Beautiful Offering (2004), Do You Think I am Beautiful (2005), and When Wallflowers Dance (2006). Her newest book, My Single Mom Life came out May 2007. 
